“so that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death …” (Phil 3:10, NKJ)
Before we move on to the next detailed aspect of the voice of God (“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” – Matt 4:4), it is necessary to highlight one more very specific aspect regarding the showbread. In the original Hebrew the word showbread could have been translated with two other terms: “pierced cake” (Varner) as well as “bread of the face” (Smith). In considering the first translation, it is for this reason, interestingly enough, that the matzos used by the Jews looks as if it has been pierced.
We read in Ps 22 – which points prophetically to Christ’s crucifixion – that: “they pierced my hands and my feet” (verse 16). John 19:34 tells about the soldier who pierced Jesus’ side with his spear and, in verse 37, Zach 12:10 is quoted, which says: “They shall look on him whom they pierced.” Interestingly enough, it is also mentioned in the promise of Jesus’ return to earth: “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him.” (Rev 1:7).
A very important aspect of seeing the face of God (“the bread of the face”) is to eat “the pierced cake” of His suffering. In our renewal theology we have often fallen into fallacious reasoning that it must always and only go well with the child of God. This “prosperity gospel” does not agree with the vitally important statement of the Scripture above: To know Him and the power of His resurrection (=the bread of the Face) requires that we also have “fellowship [in] His sufferings” thus becoming “conformed to His death”!
In your walk you will experience “tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword” (Rom 8:35), “tribulations … needs … distresses … stripes … imprisonments … tumults … labour … sleeplessness … fastings” (2 Cor 6:4-5), even perhaps far, far worse (2 Cor 11:23-27; Heb 11:36-38) – frightening! But it is all part of what Rom 8:17 spells out: “if indeed we suffer with Him, … we may also be glorified together”.
The Bride of Christ knows that she is inscribed in the palms of His hands, or pierced into them (Isa 49:16)! But of her it is said in Ps 45:14: “She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colours.” The BBE translation translates it better from the original language: “She will come before the king in robes of needlework.” She will also be pierced! But the word pierce also means in Hebrew: to govern! Spiritual authority comes from brokenness. Judg 5:9: “My heart is toward the governors of Israel, that offered themselves willingly among the people.” Bread of piercing. Bread of the Face
- Sela: 1 Pet 4:13 and 1 Cor 10:13. Deal with your fear regarding the fellowship of His sufferings.
- Read: Judg 21; Ps 111; Acts 21
- Memorise: Ps 111:10a
- Going deeper: Read Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic text: The cost of discipleship.
